South West Water will pay £54,000 in fines and costs for allowing untreated sewage to escape from a pumping station near Truro in Cornwall.

The case was brought by the Environment Agency.

On 16 March 2015 approximately 400,000 litres (88,000 gallons) of sewage was discharged from the Calenick Pumping Station into the Truro River via Calenick Creek.

Located south of Truro at the head of an estuary, the site receives sewage from surrounding villages and pumps it to Truro (Newham) Sewage Treatment Works for full treatment, including disinfection.

An investigation by the Environment Agency revealed two factors contributed to the illegal discharge. In 2015 a contractor working on electrical panels at the pumping station forgot to restart the pumps. This meant sewage arriving in the wet well, a storage area within the site, wasn’t pumped out.

Shortly before the spill, South West Water received three urgent alarms via telemetry warning that sewage had reached a high level in the sump, yet no pumps were running. The team responsible for sending a crew to the pumping station failed to telephone them with a ‘high priority’ request to attend the site. Instead, they messaged them electronically, forgetting the crew was at a meeting and wouldn’t be able get to Calenick for some time.

A short while later, further alarms were triggered warning the water company that sewage was now spilling from the pumping station outfall into Calenick Creek. The discharge continued for approximately four-and-a-half hours.

The pumping station lies within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation close to commercial mussel and oyster beds at Grimes Bar and Malpas. Fortunately, the sewage spill occurred during the closed season for shellfish, although there was a risk of possible contamination of shellfish beds.

Mark Pilcher of the Environment Agency said:

It is vitally important water companies have robust procedures in place to ensure their sewage infrastructure assets perform appropriately.

Calenick Sewage Pumping Station is situated at the head of a very sensitive estuary containing important intertidal habitats and commercial shellfish beds. The unpermitted discharge of crude sewage to the estuary because the pump station was not switched on following a site inspection is unacceptable.

South West Water had earlier pleaded guilty to discharging crude sewage from Calenick Sewage Pumping Station contrary to Regulations 12(1)(a) and 38(2) of the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010.

At a sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court on 26 January 2017, South West Water was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 costs.

Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach today welcomed his Egyptian counterpart to London to discuss shared challenges and threats, including that posed by Daesh.

Lieutenant General Mahmoud Hegazy was received by a ceremonial guard from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, before holding discussions with Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon.

Discussion included shared security interests in Libya, planned Defence Engagement this year, including preparations for a future joint exercise involving counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) training, and the UK’s commitment to security in the region. Dates for the annual military staff talks were also confirmed, which aim to identify mutual training opportunities and areas where both nations can deepen their military relationship.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:

Stability abroad helps keep the streets of Britain safer and more secure.

With a strengthening relationship and as a key partner in defence and military matters, Britain is working with Egypt to combat threats, including from Daesh terrorism in Sinai and Libya.

Deepening our relationship with Egypt helps ensure stability in the Middle East and improves safety and security here in Britain.

The Defence Secretary visited Cairo in September, where he committed the UK to continue working alongside the Egyptian military, particularly through C-IED training.

Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach today welcomed his Egyptian counterpart Lieutenant General Mahmoud Hegazy to London. Crown Copyright.

As part of joint Defence work last year, Royal Navy warships HMS Ocean and Bulwark visited Egypt and met with ENS Tahya Misr to practice manoeuvres and participate in an air defence exercise.

10 Egyptian officers from their Mistral class helicopter carriers were also hosted on board, and ahead of the exercise HMS Ocean, visited the port of Alexandria, the first Royal Navy ship to do so for eight years.

Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach said:

I was pleased to welcome Lt Gen Hegazy to London, and following a positive exchange I have personally reaffirmed our important Defence ties. We will continue to develop this military bond.

While in the UK, Lt Gen Hegazy is also due to visit Northwood Headquarters, where he will meet Commander of Joint Forces Command General Sir Chris Deverell, among other senior personnel.

1 February 2017

North Staffordshire Green Party has announced local activist Adam Colclough as its candidate for the Stoke by-election.

Colclough is from Stoke and understands the problems it faces. He wants to end austerity and tackle insecure employment, low pay and inadequate housing. His priorities are the NHS, social care and education.

Colclough works in logistics operations but also has roles in a mental health forum, NHS patients’ forum and young offenders’ rehabilitation organisations. He is studying part time for a sociology degree at Staffordshire University.

Colclough said:

“I’m absolutely committed to fighting for a better future for my city and its people. Politicians need to be honest about the real causes of the problems that blight Stoke on Trent and offer credible solutions that will work. Simply staying silent about austerity instead of offering realistic, alternative economic and industrial policies is not good enough.

“The people of Stoke have been taken for granted for far too long and the Green Party will be honest in addressing these issues to create a fair and sustainable future. Many people in Stoke are disconnected from the three mainstream parties and seeking an alternative. We want to offer them one based on inclusion and hope, not division and prejudice.”

Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, said:

“Adam has lived in Stoke his whole life which means he truly understands the strengths and challenges of the local area. He would do whatever it takes to work with others of like mind to meet the needs of the local community, and defeat the forces that seek to separate us. I’m proud that Adam is offering a brighter, fairer future.”

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The film shows the young bird of prey:

• using the CCTV mast as a perch
• being mobbed both by a magpie and then a raven
• checking out her reflection in the camera
• still-hunting, where the bird sits on the exposed perch and watches for prey
• struggling to keep her perch in high winds

Kestrel video

The release of the video comes in the wake of the RSPB’s BIG Garden Bird watch last weekend. More than half a million people were expected to take part, recording the number of birds that visited their gardens over a one hour period.

The RSPB is also promoting the Big School Bird Watch during the month of February, where pupils will be encouraged to get closer to nature by counting birds at set times.

More information can be found on the RSPB website.

Traffic Officers Leigh Goodchild and Steve Dyas at Highways England’s Regional Control Centre in Avonmouth first spotted the cheeky bird in October 2016.

And since then operators monitoring traffic on CCTV have been treated to frequent sightings as the kestrel has made a camera stand at junction 11a of the M5 one of its favourite perches.

Leigh Goodchild said:

We’ve grown quite fond of our feathered friend since she started visiting the camera. The platform seems to give a good view of the surrounding area and potential prey – on one occasion she returned with half a mouse which she proceeded to swallow complete, tail and all!

We’ve also noticed she’s rather obsessed with her own image, which she probably thinks is an equally nosey kestrel ‘in’ the camera, but her inquisitiveness has given us some good close-ups.

She’s squawked and attacked the lens a few times as well but when that happens we try to discourage her from hurting herself by tilting the camera skywards.

Her visits certainly brighten up our day and makes a change from the traffic!

With their pointed wings and long tails, kestrels are a familiar sight along UK motorways and other main roads as they use thermals from the road to hover while they look for prey.

Kestrels are generally recognised by their characteristic hovering hunting mode, but also use perches to hunt. They can often be seen perched on a high tree branch, or on a telephone post or wire, on the lookout for prey. The RSPB estimate that there are around 46,000 breeding pairs of kestrels in the UK, and the bird is on their amber list of protected species.

Highways England Traffic Officers operate motorway CCTV cameras from seven regional control centres and the National Traffic Operations Centre and patrol the motorway network around the clock. They work to keep traffic moving by dealing with incidents and setting signals and signs to alert drivers to potential issues ahead.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.